Duke v. Johnson

211 P. 710, 123 Wash. 43, 1923 Wash. LEXIS 686
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 3, 1923
DocketNo. 17276
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 211 P. 710 (Duke v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Duke v. Johnson, 211 P. 710, 123 Wash. 43, 1923 Wash. LEXIS 686 (Wash. 1923).

Opinion

Mackintosh, J.

The Scandinavian American Bank of Tacoma is a hanking corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the state of Washington, The present record does not show the date of its original incorporation, but enough appears to show that, for a number of years prior to January 15, 1921, it had existence and was engaged in a general banking business. Originally, it was organized with a capital stock of four hundred thousand dollars, divided into shares of the par value of one hundred dollars each. Sometime in the year 1919, the capital stock of the bank was increased to one million dollars, and additional shares were issued for the amount of the increase, which likewise had a par value of one hundred dollars each. These additional shares were put' on sale at a price of one hundred twenty-five dollars per share, and Alfred Johnson and Augusta Marie Johnson became the purchasers from the bank of eighty shares of such stock, at the prices at which they were offered for sale; purchasing forty shares on April 12, 1920, and forty shares on July 9, 1920.

The bank thereafter was found to be insolvent, and on January 15, 1921, was taken into possession by the state officer now known as the supervisor of banking, for liquidation. This officer, shortly after taking possession of the bank, ascertained and determined the debts and liabilities and the assets of the bank; finding the former to be “as far as the same were known,” $5,344,731, and finding the latter to be of a value less than $3,200,000. The officer further determined that it was necessary, in order to meet the difference between the debts and liabilities, to assess the shareholders of the bank upon their superadded liability created by the constitution to the par value of the shares, and, as of date March 1, 1921, made such an assessment. The amount assessed against the shares [45]*45of Alfred Johnson and Angnsta Marie Johnson was eight thousand dollars. This sum they refused to pay, and the present action was begun to recover the same. Judgment went for the supervisor in tbe court below, and the defendants Johnson appeal.

To the complaint of the supervisor, which embodied in substance the foregoing recitals, the appellants interposed a motion to make more definite and certain. This motion being overruled, they demurred for want of sufficient facts, which was also overruled. They then answered, denying the material allegations of the complaint, and setting up two affirmative defenses. With the answer, they served interrogatories for the discovery of facts and documents deemed by them material to the support of their defense to the action. These interrogatories the court struck, upon motion of the supervisor. Error is assigned upon these several rulings, but we think the assignments need no separate consideration. It is enough to say that by them the appellants have preserved in the record the controlling question upon which they rely for reversal, and that the determination of this question will determine how far and in what particulars the court erred in its several rulings.

The question suggested involves the construction of the laws relating to banking. Article XII, § 11, of the constitution provides:

“Each stockholder of any banking or insurance corporation or joint stock association shall be individually and personally liable equally and ratably, and not one for another, for all contracts, debts and engagements of such corporation or association accruing while they remain such stockholders, to the extent of the amount of their stock therein at the par value thereof, in addition to the amount invested in such shares.”

[46]*46This provision of the constitution has also been exacted into statute by the legislature, the language of the statute conforming substantially to the language of the constitution. Rem. Comp. Stat., § 3242.

The difference between the parties is over the amount of the liability of the appellants under these provisions of the constitution and statute. It is the appellants’ contention that they are liable equally and ratably with other stockholders of the bank for those contracts, debts and engagements of the bank, and for those contracts, debts and engagements of the bank only, which were entered into, incurred, or undertaken by the bank during the time they remained stockholders of the bank, and not for those which were entered into, incurred or undertaken by the bank prior to that time; while it is the contention of the supervisor that they are liable for all contracts, debts and engagements of the bank, regardless of the time the bank became liable therefor.

The question here presented is not a new one in this court. It was first before the court in the early case of Shuey v. Holmes, 21 Wash. 223, 57 Pac. 818. In that case, it appeared that the Seattle Savings Bank was incorporated on June 13, 1891; that, on January 12, 1897, it was, at the suit of a creditor, adjudged insolvent and a receiver appointed to liquidate its affairs. It further appeared that one Alice L. Holmes had become a stockholder of the bank on July 1,1891, and had remained such down to the time of the adjudication of insolvency; that, subsequent to the insolvency, in proceedings had in the court appointing the receiver, it was found that the assets of the bank were insufficient to meet its obligations, and that it was necessary, in order to make up the deficiency, to levy an assessment upon the stockholders of the bank; and that it was thereupon adjudged

[47]*47“ ‘ . . . that each, all and every of the stockholders . . . equally and ratably ... be and hereby are assessed on their statutory liability as such stockholders to the amount of forty-eight per cent of the par value of the capital stock of said bank held by each of the stockholders thereof respectively as shown, by the books of said Seattle Savings Bank on January 11, 1897.’ ”

Demand was thereafter made upon Mrs. Holmes for the amount of the assessment against her, which she refused to pay. The action was to recover the amount of the assessment, and judgment went in Mrs. Holmes’ favor. On the appeal of the receiver, this court, after quoting the salient parts of the constitutional provision above referred to, used the following language:

“The judgment of the lower court was right, for the simple reason that it does not appear from the statement or from anything contained in the record, neither was it alleged in the complaint, that the whole or any part of the indebtedness of the bank was incurred or created at any time while the respondent was a stockholder of the bank. It is evident that the theory upon which the receiver proceeded was that all stockholders of the bank at the date when its insolvency was adjudged and a receiver appointed, viz., January 7,1897, were liable, without regard to whether they were such stockholders at the time when the indebtedness arose. This was a mistaken theory and nothing is needed to demonstrate the mistake, other than the plain language of the constitutional provision just quoted. This superadded liability of the stockholder which exists by virtue of the statute and constitution is personal, and does not follow the stock. The obligation rests on the stockholder, not on the stock. But learned counsel for the appellant urge that as the record shows the bank was incorporated on June 13, 1891, and the respondent became a stockholder July 1, 1891, it is to be presumed that the indebtedness was incurred after and not before, she acquired her shares. We can [48]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
211 P. 710, 123 Wash. 43, 1923 Wash. LEXIS 686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duke-v-johnson-wash-1923.